Attaching metai trim to building



B. C. PLACE 1 June 26, 1934.

' ATTACHING METAL TRIM T0 BUILDING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gnucntoz 5/4 61 e June 26, 1934. B. 0. PLACE 1,954,331

ATTACHING METAL TRIM TO BUILDING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1a 58 v dmmw s Patented Junel26, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ATTACHING METAL TRIM TO BUILDING STRUCTURES Bion. C. Mace, Detroit, Mich, assignor of onehalf to George E. Gagnier, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 21, 1930, Serial No. 476,894

8 Claims.

This invention relates to means for attaching metal trim or finish material to metallic building or similar structures without the use of threaded fasteners. More particularly, the invention relates to the attachment of trim material to buildings by bringing about an interlocking between such material and the supporting structure of the building or thelike, in such manner that the trim materialcan be applied or removed by springing the trim material suificiently to release the interlock, the inherent resilience of said material permitting this to be done.

Heretofore, metallic trim material has generally been applied to metallic supporting structures of metal buildings or the like bymeans oi threaded fasteners. In using said fasteners, it is necessary to tap the openings in the supporting structures. Inasmuch as the metal constituting such structure is frequently relatively thin only a few threads can ordinarily be made therein. When the trim material is applied to such tapped openings, by means of screws in well known manner, the threads are frequently stripped by drawing the screws too tight.

Furthermore, the application of trim material by means of threaded fasteners and screws is laborious and time consuming. This invention aims primarily to provide an arrangement for 3 attaching such materialto metallic supporting structures without the use of threaded fasteners of any kind, and in such manner that the trim materials may be applied and removed from the building expeditiously and with ordinarily available tools.

An important object of the invention also is the provision of means for readily bringing about an interlocking between metallic trim material and a metallic supporting structure of whatever 40 nature.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement for securing metal trim material to a metallic building including spring fastners for resiliently connecting the material to the supporting structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of retainer for bringing about the interlocking of the trim material to the supporting structure, which retainer may be manu- 50 factured at a very low cost and from a single piece of material. v i

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retainer for a metallic trim material constructed of a single piece of wire the midportion of which is bent in the form of loops, while the (or. res-es) ends are utilized as the means of attachment of the retainer to the supporting structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retainer for metallic trim material that may be readily interlocked with integral holding elements struck from the supporting structure itself.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a manner of attaching trim materials to building structures that will enable the trim material to be bodily adjusted after attachment so that it may be brought accurately into the desired position without requiring that the fastening means be shifted, independently of the trim material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a retainer for metallic trim material, constructed of sheet metal having its edges bent to provide them with rigidity and stillness, which stifiened edges are formedso that the trim ma- 7 terial may readily be brought into interlocking engagement therewith.

Further objects of the invention will appear as a description thereof proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmental elevational view show ing a section of trim material held to the supporting structure by means of one-piece wire retainers and one-piece wire spring fasteners.

Figure 1a is a fragmental view of a portion of the arrangement of Fig. 1, the trim material being removed.

.\Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view taken onflthe plane indicated by the line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a preferred form of one-piece wire retainer.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the retainer'illustrated in Figure 3 taken on the plane indicated by line 44 in said figure.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the retainer of Fig. 3 as viewed from the left hand of said figure.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 are respectively top plan, front and side elevational views of a preferred form of spring fastener.

Figure 9 is a sectional view through one form of metal trim material designed for ready attachment in accordance with this invention.

Figure 10 is a sectional view showing a slightly modified form of trim material.

Figure 11 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of retainer, in which the retainer is interlocked with a holding element constituting an integral part of the supporting structure.

4 views taken on the planes indicated by lines 14-14 and 15 in Figure 13.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

This invention is intended to secure metal trim or finish material to metallic building structures,

such as the trim for door frames and window frames, and to attach baseboards, moldings and the like to a metallic structure, though the invention may be put to many other uses.

Metal finish material of the character just specified is usually applied in situations in which the rear of the surface to which the material is applied is inaccessible for the application of nuts, cotter pins or the like. Accordingly, such trim material is generally applied by tapping openings in the supporting structure to receive screws that retain the trim material in place. The formation of the openings as well as the application of the screws are relatively laborious operations, and as above pointed out the screws are not entirely satisfactory for this purpose, in view of the fact that the threads provided in such openings are liable to be stripped, if the screws are drawn tighter than necessary. By the arrangement presently to be described the use of all threaded fasteners is avoided, and the trim material may be applied to the supporting structures by simply springing the trim material and necessary fasteners into assembled position in an extremely practical and expeditious manner.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates generally a fragment of a supporting structure of any suitable character. Inasmuch as the invention is intended for use in the construction of metallic buildings, such supporting structure usually consists of a metallic plate-like element as illustrated. In order that the trim material may be secured thereto, said supporting structure is provided, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, with perforations 11 formed at regular intervals at the points thereof to which the trim material is to be applied. Such perforations may be punched in the plate constituting the supporting structure, prior to the installation of said structure in the building, or said openings or perforations may be formed in any other convenient manner.

The trim material that is to be applied in accordance with the present invention is designated by the numeral 12, channel-shaped strips being illustrated. Such channel-shaped strips may assume the form illustrated in Figure 9, or that iilustrated in Figure 10 as may be desired. As illustrated in Figure 9, the sides 13 of the channelshaped trim material are each bent inwardly at 14 providing an abutment extending continuously along each side of the channel for engagement beneath the retainers presently to be described. If desired the sides of the channel may simply be inclined towards each other as shown at 15 in Figure 10. The inclination in this figure is exaggerated in order to make the construction clear. The body 16 of the trim material between the sides of the channel may assume any ornamental or desired configuration, such ornamentation being omitted, since the same constitutes no part of the present invention. It is only essential for the purposes of the invention that the trim material be provided with the inwa d y turned flanges 14 of Figure 9, or flanges such as shown in 15 of Figure 10, or their equivalent.

Still referring to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 8, the trim material is attached to the supporting structure 10, by means of a plurality of retainers 17, illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5, and a spring fastener 18 shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8. The retainer 17 is attached to the supporting structure 10 by means of the spring fastener 18 and the trim material is sprung on the retainers 17, after they havebeen secured in position by said spring fasteners.

As illustrated in said figures, each retainer is preferably constructed of a single piece of relatively heavy wire, the mid-portion of which is bent into the form of a rectangular loop provid ing sides 19 and 20 and ends 21 and 22. The ends of the wire extend inwardly from the side 20 of the loop, thus formed, to provide arms 23 and 24 disposed in substantially spaced parallelism and terminating slightly short of the opposite side 20 of the loop. The sides 19 and 20 are bent out of the planes containing the ends 21 and 22 and the arms 23 and 24, as illustrated at 25, so that said sides are spaced above the under surface of the ends and arms just referred to.

The preferred form of spring fastener, illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, is likewise constructed of a single piece of wire of lesser gauge. The midportion of the wire is bent in the form of a loop providing a head 26. The ends of the wire are then bent inwardly in the plane of said loop to form arms 27 and 28 disposed in saidplane. The ends of the wire are then bent at right angles to the plane of said head to form the shank of the fastener. Said shank comprises two legs, as illustrated in Figure 8, constituting the ends of the wire, the portions of the legs immediately adjacent the head, designated by the numerals 29 and 30 diverging from the head, while the portions thereof adjacent to the tips of the wire converge as shown at 31 and 32, the tips lapping as illustrated in said figure. Preferably the wire is bent prior to tempering. After it has been bent in form, it is tempered, to give it the necessary stiffness and resilience. A fastener such as just described is illustrated in my Patent No. 1,679,266, granted July 31, 1928.

Trim material is applied by means of the retainer and fastener just described in the following manner. The shank of the trim fastener is inserted between the spaced arms 23 and 24 so that the head bears, after the fastener has been applied, upon the top surface of said arms. The retainer and the fastener are then brought opposite one of the perforations in the supporting structure, and pressure is exerted against the head of the fastener, after the overlapped spring legs have entered aperture 11 in said structure. When pressure is applied to the head of the fastener, the converging guiding portions 31 and 32 engage the edges of the fastener, and said legs are accordingly caused to approach each other until the widest portion of the shank of the fastener has passed through the perforations, when the diverging portions 29 and 30 engage the sides of the perforations with a spring action tending to draw the retainer firmly in its position against the outer surface of the supporting structure. A number of retainers are applied in position in the manner just described.

The trim material is then brought in position over the applied retainers and pressure is exerted to force the flanges over the retainers. The inherent resilience of the latter will permit this to be done, and said flanges will spring towards each other after they have cleared the sides of the retainer and the edges of said flanges will be seated beneath the sides 19 and 20, which, as above pointed out, are spaced above the plane occupied by the under surfaces of the ends 21 and 22 and arms 23 and 24. The position of the edges of said flanges is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It will be readily understood that the perforations need not be aligned with any great degree of accuracy, inasmuch as the retainer can be shifted laterally beneath the head 26 of the fastener to bring the retainers into accurate alignment for reception of the trim or finish material. It will be further appreciated that the perforations need not be spaced apart exactly the same distance vertically, since the retainers need not be spaced evenly lengthwise of the trim material to serve their purpose.

If desired the spring fasteners above described may be omitted and the retainers may be attached to the supporting structure in the manner illustratedin Figures 11 and 12. In order to accomplish this pairs of slits 33, are provided in the plate 10 constituting the supporting structure at intervals and the metal, thus separated from the body of said supporting structure, is bent out of the plane of said structure as indicated at 34, Figure 12, to provide an integral means for attaching or holding the retainers to the supporting structures. When this arrangement is used the arms 23' and 24 of the retainer, which is in other respects as that above described, are arranged side by side and terminate a substantial distance from-the opposite side 19 of the loop constituting the body of the retainer.

In this form of the invention, the retainer is applied to the supporting structure simply by causing the arms 23 and 241 to enter beneath the holding portion 34 separated from the body of the supporting structure by the slits 33 in the manner above described. The portion 34. is bent away from the body of the supporting structure just sufficiently so that the spring arms are frictionally firmly gripped by said portion. It will be noted that extreme accuracy is not required in the formation of the slits since the retainers can be bodily adjusted laterally to accommodate any inaccuracies in the formation of said slits.

The trim material is applied to the retainers of Figs. 11 and 12 in the manner above described with reference to the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 8.

If desired a one-piece sheet metal retainer may be substituted for the wire retainer illustrated in Figures 11 and 12. Such an arrange- .ment is illustrated in Figures 13, 14 and 15. The retainer 35 of this form of the invention is constructed of a rectangular sheet of metal having its longitudinal edges beaded as shown at 36, to provide stifiness to the retainer, and at the same time provide means to hold the trim material in assembled interlocked relation with respect to said container. The body of the sheet metal retainer, thus formed, is punched out in generally U-shaped form, as indicated in Figure 13, providing a tongue 38 extending from one rein forced longitudinal edge of the retainer toward the other, side thereof and terminating short of said last named side. 7

The retainer just d'scribed is applied to the Figure 15, the inwardly bent edges engaging a vpointin the under surface of the bead. The

formation of the bead, it will be noted provides the necessary space between the supporting structure and the under side of the body of the retainer to receive the edges of the trim material.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:-

1. Metallic building construction, comprising a supporting structure provided with spaced perforations, a finishing strip of channel-shaped form having the sides thereof bent toward each other, retainers each constructed of a single piece of Wire bent into the form of a loop between its ends and having its ends arranged side by side in spaced relation within said loop, and a yielding headed fastener for each retainer having its head bearing on said ends of wire of the retainer and its shank passing between said ends and sprung in one of said perforations, said finishing strip being sprung on a plurality of retainers by causing the sides thereof to engage beneath the edges of said loops.

2. A retainer made in one piece and complete in itself for use in attaching hollow metal trim material to a supporting structure, comprising an elongated element of wire constructed in rectangular form and having two of its opposite edges bent so as to provide substantially continuous holding walls forming recesses beneath said edges and means forming a part of said element consisting of the ends of the wire disposed between said edges to interlock said retainers to a supporting structure.

3. A retainer made in one piece and complete in itself for use in attaching hollow trim material to a supporting structure comprising an elongated element of rectangular form having two of its opposite edges bent so as to provide recesses beneath said edges, and an elongated tongue arranged between said edges and forming a unitary part of said element to interlocksaid re-' tainers to said supporting structure with the capability of slidable adjustment laterally.

4. A retainer made in one piece and complete in itself for use in attaching hollow metal trim material to a supporting structure, comprising an elongated element constructed of a single piece of .wire by bending it into the form of a rectangular loop and by bending two of the opposite sides of said loop so as to provide recesses beneath said sides, and means between said sides to interlock said retainers to a supporting structure formed by bending portions of said wire toward the inside of said loop into substantial parallelism with each other forming a slot permitting lateral adjustment of said retainer to aline it with other retainers.

5. A one-piece wire retainer complete in itself for use in attaching trim material to metallic buildings or for similar purposes, comprising a rectangular loop formed from the mid-portion of the wire, and means to attach the retainer consisting of the ends of said wire disposed in parallelism within said loop so as to provide an elongated slot between them.

6. A one-piece wire retainer for use in attaching trim material to metallic buildings or for similar purposes, comprising a rectangular loop formed from the mid portion of the wire, opposite sides of said loop being bent out of the plane of the other portions of said loop, and means to attach the retainer consisting of the ends of the wire disposed in parallelism within said loop to provide an elongated slot between them.

'7. A one-piece wire container for use in attaching trim material to metallic buildings or for similar purposes, comprising a rectangular loop formed from the mid portion of the wire, and

attaching means for said retainer formed by bending the ends of the wire from a point adjacent the middle of one of the sides of said loop towards the center thereof, said ends terminating short of the opposite side of the loop, said last named side and the side immediately opposite being offset from the remainder of the retainer so that trim material may be interlocked beneath said sides.

8. In combination a perforated metallic structure, a one-piece wire retainer in the form of a loop having the ends of the wire bentinto spaced relation within the loop, a spring fastener including a pair of divergently disposed arms passing between said spaced ends and engaging said perforation and yieldingly and removably securing said retainer .to said structure, and trim material attached to said retainer by springing flanges thereof into interlocking engagement with opposite sides of said loop.

' BION C. PLACE. 

